Upcoming projects

This is my first weekend off, yay! I still have so much to do wedding related as far as diy projects. I plan to tackle them one by one each weekend that I'm off. During the week the gym pretty much takes up my time. So far this is the list of upcoming projects that I can think of, or what's left to do:

fan programs
sand ceremony frame trial
photo sharing cards
menu cards
table numbers
cocktail menu (signature drinks and spirits)
RSVP cards
map and directions cards
fish net for card box

I think that's it for now, and that's plenty! I really need to get started. Whew, a lot of work ahead of me.

Make an impression early.....

I had my first meeting at Compstat today in my new position. I wore a toned down gray suit for the look, and I was prepared with all of my case information. They only asked about three cases pertaining to my shift, but I knew my stuff. I had the answers to their questions which is what they want. I see the biggest thing about this job is staying up on where the Detectives are in their cases so when questions are asked, they can be answered.

I left the meeting feeling like I presented well; to confirm that fact I saw the Deputy Chief of CIB and he told me, "You did well today!". Coming from him, that is something!

Of course, it could be a different story next week. That remains to be seen....

So far so good....

I'm on day 3 of my new assignment and it's going pretty well. I have a lot to learn but once I get the hang of it, it'll be a breeze. Most of all, I love coming to work in regular clothes and working Monday through Friday with the weekends off, like Mike. I can actually bring my lunch to work, heat it up, and sit down to enjoy it versus eating on the go, usually in my vehicle, as I've done in the past.

Tomorrow is my first Compstat meeting in my new position and I literally JUST finished putting together all of the packets I need to answer any questions the big bosses may have for me regarding the cases we are currently working on. Wish me luck!

Finished aisle runner!

Whew! My aisle runner is done and I am happy with the results. I got instructions from knottie heatherjk on her blog at http://roadtotheaisle.blogspot.com/2007/07/diy-aisle-runner.html
The only thing I did different, which was minor, was use a regular pencil instead of a mechanical pencil mentioned in the link above, thanks to knottie kim&josh. Here's my version of the diy aisle runner. I bought the paint and an assortment of brushes from Michaels, using coupons of course to save some cash. I purchased an ivory french lace aisle runner off eBay for $13.95. It is so beautiful I was tempted to leave it as is:

I took my monogram to Kinkos as a jpeg and had them blow it up to 36 x 36. I then traced the monogram on the aisle runner. First tape the blown up version down then the aisle runner on top of it like this:

I'm tracing away...Finally, it's ready to be painted. This is probably really light, so you can't see it traced on the aisle runner. You can see the blown up version off to the right of it. Pops took this photo for me. He's so helpful!

The next day, I started painting the trees first using the pink color. Make sure you tape wax paper down first, then tape the aisle runner over the wax paper, Mike made himself useful and took these pics for me:

I was rusty at first, but after awhile I got the hang of it. Here's one finished tree:

The trees were a PITA! I decided for the next one it was easier to trace the outline first and then paint it:

I did a total of two coats of acrylic paint on the trees. The finished trees:

Yesterday, I finished the aisle runner using the brown paint on our names and dates. The finished product:

I love how it turned out and it will be a beautiful decoration for the ceremony. I forgot to mention that Mike suggested the monogram be in the middle so I measured it out and put the monogram approximately between 23 and 27 feet. The aisle runner is 50 feet.

I'm emotional...

and I can't let go, I am trying to...okay that's enough of Carl Thomas.

Seriously, I did have an emotional moment or two. We took my parents out tonight to celebrate their anniversary and my father's birthday. Pops came along with us too. We had a nice dinner and conversation; there was some reminiscing of Momma and the things she used to cook because Pop had commented that the mashed potatoes he ordered weren't his wife's. We all laughed and I felt myself reflecting on how empty the dinner table felt without her and how odd it really is to see Pop every single day without her. I held back my emotions and continued talking and trying to enjoy the rest of dinner. We finished up and heading out.

Once we got comfortable in the house I went back to finishing up the aisle runner while Mike and Pop were settling down. Pop came into the family room and I stopped to put on the television for him. That's when he started talking, he told me he wasn't going out anymore because he sees these couples, mostly seniors who remind of the years he won't have with Momma, and starts thinking too much. Then he broke down. I talked to him and listened to him talk and then the phone rang, bringing a welcome distraction. The phone was for him, so he stepped to his room to take the call.

Even though the 7th of this month will be 4 months since Mommas' transition, it still seems so unreal. I'm sitting here typing this now with Pops sitting not too far from me, Snapped playing on the TV, thinking about how we should've had more time with Momma. I don't want to get upset again so I'm going to stop now.

I just know the wedding day is going to be a joyous occasion but her physical absence will be a lot to handle.

Goodnight.

New Assignment

Well, after today I can say farewell to patrol for now. Starting tomorrow, I will be in the Detective Bureau working evenings, with the weekends off. Sounds good, huh? It does, but we'll see. The only crappy thing is that I had to do a ton of shopping for the new assignment because you have to dress the part. Think CSI or any of the cop shows with the Detectives rolling up on the scene in business attire.

Tomorrow is my day off, since the schedule change goes into affect on Sunday, so we plan to take my parents out to celebrate their anniversary and my Dad's birthday. Then it's time to get ready for Monday. Detective Sergeant, I like the sound of it.

OMG!

Okay, I had no idea how tedious this DIY aisle runner would be. Lawd have mercy! I think it's much easier if you choose letter monograms and not some gigantic palm tree ;-)

I started painting tonight; I traced it yesterday. When I'm done, I'll post pics and helpful hints along the way if you choose to do monograms that don't just have letters.

Even thought it's a lot of work, I love how it's turning out so far. It's late and I'm tired; I've been working on the palm tree portion for 3 hours, with a couple of breaks in between. Time for bed. Goodnight ^.^